A healthy lifestyle has been adopted today - we all want to live longer, maintaining health and youth until old age. It is not surprising that so much attention is paid to the issue of proper nutrition. There is already a clear concept in the minds of what is right and what is not. But this concept is mainly replicated to the masses by glamorous magazines and film stars. And how does it really work? Consider on our website what proper nutrition should be, and debunk the myths that have developed around it.

The legacy of Alexander Suvorov

Since the 1970s, the world, following nutritionists, began to repeat the saying of commander Suvorov “Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, and give dinner to the enemy” as the basis of a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. The result was a surge in the incidence of the gastrointestinal tract, especially gastritis. Gastritis has become so commonplace that there is a belief that it is a natural appendage to civilization.

In fact, you can not do without dinner, as well as without breakfast, lunch. Moreover, it is believed that the smaller the nutrition, the better. The optimal ratio of the distribution of the daily diet is considered to be 30-35% of calories eaten for breakfast, 40-45% for lunch and 25% for dinner. Much more accurate was the phrase spoken by the mother from the film “Stop, otherwise the mother will shoot”: “Breakfast is the most important meal in a boy’s life.” Home is not the main, but necessary.

It has already been proven that people who do not eat breakfast are more likely to suffer from digestive disorders and gastrointestinal diseases. Although it is still unclear exactly, the lack of breakfast causes a tendency to gastritis or the presence of digestive disorders (gastritis causes a lack of desire to eat in the morning).

Myths about dinner

With a light hand of no one knows whom, humanity suddenly believed: in order to lose weight and maintain health, you do not have to have dinner after 6 pm. If you start digging into where such a strange idea came from, it becomes clear that it first surfaced when scientists discovered the existence of natural biorhythms. Their research showed that in the evening, many digestive enzymes begin to be produced in smaller quantities and metabolism slows down. Based on this, it occurred to someone that it was impossible to eat in the evening. Apartment in Spain for rent from http://arenda-spain.com/kvartiri-i-komnati/ 5000 ads on our website

In fact, further research has shown that biorhythms in people are individual. But this no longer interested anyone - the myth of proper nutrition was launched and nestled in their heads. In reality, dinner should be no later than 3-4 hours before going to bed. And if a person goes to bed at midnight, then he may well have dinner at 21.00. Large intervals between meals are bad for the stomach and can lead to the formation of gallstones. Another thing is that dinner should not be too fat and plentiful.

Myths about fruits and vegetables

Fruits are very useful, and the more of them in the diet, the better for health. Alas, everything is not so clear. First, different fruits suit different people. The abundance of fiber in vegetables and fruits in the presence of problems with the gastrointestinal tract provokes abdominal pain, heartburn, and indigestion. In addition, fruits contain many natural sugars (fructose) and acids. Fructose is rapidly absorbed into the blood and indirectly contributes to weight gain. Acids increase the secretion of gastric juice and provoke a feeling of hunger. Accordingly, snacking on fruits causes appetite, and does not help satisfy hunger.

By the way, the study of the diet of centenarians showed a paradoxical fact: almost all people who lived for a long time ate a little fruit, but ate a lot of vegetables and herbs. Accordingly, it would be correct to increase the amount of vegetables and herbs in the diet, which gives greater antioxidant protection to the body.

Also, there was no particularly strong dependence of the quality and length of life on the consumption of raw or boiled vegetables. Admirers of the raw food diet claim that only raw vegetables and fruits are healthy; when boiled, this is a dead product. It turned out that this is a distortion. The ratio in the diet of raw and boiled vegetables and fruits for proper nutrition should be around 2 to 3. Moreover, some vegetables are healthier in processed form or acquire certain beneficial qualities precisely in the process of processing. For example, sauerkraut in winter contains more vitamins than fresh. Tomatoes containing lycopene are much healthier if they have been cooked - fried in oil. So lycopene begins to show itself as a powerful antioxidant.

Raw vegetables and fruits should be consumed on an empty stomach. Eaten after eating, they cause rotting processes in the intestines.

Myths about fats

Some advocates of proper nutrition have stated that fats are harmful and should be eliminated from the diet. This is too much - fats are important for the proper functioning of the body, especially its reproductive system. Then fans of a healthy lifestyle put forward a new thesis, which is now actively supported in all sorts of women's magazines. It says: vegetable fats are good, animals are bad. And many began to believe that in proper nutrition, animal fats should be excluded. It turned out that this is also a myth. And dangerous.

The fact is that in fact, vegetable oils contain much more fat than animals. Vegetable oils are almost entirely fats. Animal fats in large quantities contain water and other components. Therefore, the use of exclusively vegetable fats does not contribute to weight loss, as is believed. Moreover, Dr. Kwasniewski from Poland believes that a large amount of vegetable fats in the diet contributes to weight gain, and a diet in which vegetable oil is replaced by butter, on the contrary, contributes to its reduction. In his clinic, obesity and gastrointestinal diseases are treated, while a diet using animal fats gives very good results. By the way, Ayurvedic medicine is also based on the treatment of butter ghee (ghee). Ayurveda endows it with truly life-giving properties - it stimulates digestion, strengthens the immune system, improves eyesight, and has a positive effect on the skin.

Fats are vital for the synthesis of sex hormones and the proper functioning of the nervous system. Fat deficiency leads to early menopause, hormonal imbalances, and failures in cholesterol metabolism. Proper nutrition involves the intake of fats in the amount of 25% of the diet (25% - fats, 15% - proteins, 65% - carbohydrates). Refusal of animal fats at the same time leads to loss of skin turgor, joint disorders. When asked when, "Where to attack from?" It is worth considering whether a low-fat diet is not to blame. Today, scientists recommend that out of the required 70-100 g of fat per day, 25-30 g be allocated to vegetable fats. That is, it is now believed that there should be more animal fats in the diet than vegetable fats!

Most importantly, proper nutrition should not be based on fat-free foods. Light oils are much more harmful than animal and vegetable oils, as they contain hydrogenated fats that are harmful to the body. As for fat-free foods, this is just a deception of the body, which it quickly “bites through” - then the product is consumed more than necessary. With all the ensuing consequences.

Myths about soups and cereals

Soup must be eaten once a day, you can not eat dry food - this leads to gastritis and ulcers. We often hear this statement from mothers and grandmothers. However, not all cuisines of the world include soups. In the traditions of many peoples, soup is used quite rarely, for example, in Scandinavian cuisine. And at the same time, between countries where soups are traditionally often eaten (Russia, Ukraine), and countries where they are rarely eaten (France, Sweden, the USA), there is no sharp difference in the number of housing and communal diseases. Hence the conclusion: soups are only a gastronomic feature of individual cuisines, and not the basis of a rational diet.

The food pyramid indicates that cereals should make up the majority of foods consumed and be the basis of the diet. This pyramid was invented in America, and many people consider this scheme the basis of a healthy diet. However, it must be admitted that modern cereals and cereals that were still 30-40 years ago are “two big differences”.

Now, instant cereals from the category of “brewed and ready” are very often used. The convenience is obvious, but the benefits are much less. The fact is that in the process of grain processing in this case there is a rupture of all its membranes and cell walls. Such cereals already have a much lower biologically active value, but they are a quickly and well-digestible carbohydrate. Hence the weight gain. For proper nutrition, you need to choose ordinary cereals that are cooked for a long time.

Cereals can no longer act as a source of B vitamins. This was before the era of unbridled pursuit of productivity. Now the soils are depleted and the grain from them no longer receives the set that it received earlier. Fertilization of fields with inorganic chemical fertilizers also does not contribute to their rich biologically valuable composition.

Myths about drinks

Healthy food apologists claim that fruit juices are better than carbonated drinks. From the point of view of the content of nutrients and fiber - definitely yes. In terms of absolute health benefits, unknown. Fruit juices, due to the easily digestible fructose, lead to an increase in blood sugar levels and an increased release of insulin. Therefore, juice is not very useful for diabetics, as well as for those who are trying to lose weight. We have to admit that juices are better than carbonated drinks in terms of the content of natural substances and thirst quenching. But in large quantities, God knows how useful.

Myths about sweets

The saying “everything that is not healthy is tasty, and everything that is not tasty is healthy” is based on the fact that everything sweet should be excluded from the diet of proper nutrition. Everyone who has done this testifies that the complete rejection of sweets leads to a deterioration in mood, irritability and poor concentration. All this is because our brain for full-fledged activity needs carbohydrates, and in particular sugars. Therefore, the complete exclusion of sweets is harmful.

Myths about separate meals

In the 1970s, the idea of ​​separate meals appeared. Tables were compiled that indicated which foods should not be eaten together. For example, meat and potatoes, dough and meat. The recommendations were based on the idea that our body cannot digest combinations of proteins with carbohydrates and carbohydrates with fats. Allegedly, in ancient times, mononutrition was characteristic of a person, so our digestive tract is not adapted to the combination of products.

However, the basis of human and anthropoid nutrition has always been mixed food. Moreover, each grain initially contains carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. So the combination of nutrients is programmed by nature. As it turned out, the digestive system is not so stupid and perfectly recognizes this combination and produces the necessary enzymes each time in a different way, depending on the composition of the food received. Therefore, there is no need for separate meals - this is a myth. Such a system works purely psychologically - if a person is sure that it is useful, it will be useful to him.

Myths about milk

Relatively recently, the idea has appeared that milk is a product for children, and an adult body loses the ability to assimilate it. And the use of milk in adulthood is harmful and leads to slagging of the body and diseases.

The idea is based on the existence of lactose intolerance. In fact, not everyone is lactose intolerant. Moreover, according to recent studies, Europeans rarely suffer from it due to the fact that their historical diet is based on milk and dairy products. But among the representatives of Asian peoples - the Chinese and Thais - lactose deficiency is much more common. For example: in Danes, lactose deficiency or intolerance practically does not occur, and in Chinese after 40 years, it is observed in 95% of the population. This culture just very rarely uses milk. Therefore, for Europeans, for the most part, milk is useful, not harmful.

In principle, it is easy to understand whether a person has lactose intolerance on their own. If, after drinking whole milk, bloating, rumbling, diarrhea, a feeling of dry mouth appear, which you want to drink, then there is milk intolerance. At the same time, fermented milk products are well tolerated, since they do not contain lactose.

So, in fact, proper nutrition can be pleasant, easy and tasty. Those myths that have developed around him are nothing more than misinterpreted conclusions of scientists. Most products are not as bad as they say in glamor magazines. The main thing is to observe the measure.

Nowadays, proper nutrition is becoming more and more popular, because people are starting to think about their health, they are aware of the benefits and harms of almost all products. But there are still such misconceptions that people still believe in, which makes them afraid of proper nutrition.

Myths about healthy eating

1. Proper nutrition is not tasty. This is the most common nutrition myth. The fact is that our laziness does not allow us to realize that there are such foods and dishes, the taste of which will be much better than those that are considered to be junk food. We love meat and consider it tasty, we cook completely different dishes from it. I don't think there are people who don't like fruits or dairy products.

Yes, I agree that now we have learned how to create flavoring additives that deceive our receptors and make us consider an unnatural product to be very tasty and natural, but if we approach this issue with imagination, then we will be able to cook dishes that are tastier, but with natural ingredients, just some people do not like to experiment, but it is easier to buy a semi-finished product or a finished product and cook it in 5 minutes.

And if you start experimenting now and cook new dishes only from natural ingredients (fortunately now on the Internet you can find a lot of tasty and healthy recipes, as well as comments from people who have already cooked this dish), then over time it becomes a habit and you will understand There are dishes that taste like nothing else. Recently, for example, I cooked panna cotta, just cream, sugar, gelatin and water, and what deliciousness is also obtained and stored for a long time in the refrigerator. You can’t eat a lot of it, but it’s so satisfying that you won’t be able to eat so much of it.

2. Proper nutrition is expensive . In fact, this is a very big misconception, because natural raw materials are now more expensive than artificial ones, and it turns out that when buying cheap products, we buy only a small part of what our body really needs, and everything else is supplements, which are also included in the price, but they can affect health only negatively, so it turns out that we even overpay.

In addition, there are foods that are not expensive, but bring great benefits to our body - cereals (wheat, peas, buckwheat), vegetables (carrots, onions, herbs), fresh fish, fruits (apples and other seasonal fruits).

3. Observing the principles of proper nutrition need to starve to maintain intervals of 3-4 hours between meals. This is also a fairly common myth. In proper nutrition, everything is exactly the opposite: since our body works from morning to evening without interruption, we must provide it with energy and all the necessary nutrients for this. That is, we should not experience a feeling of hunger, especially strong, because this usually leads to overeating, a slowdown in metabolism, the body goes into stress mode and it would work, but we want to eat ... that's why they say "hungry and angry." To do this, it is important to create a diet, or in extreme cases, maintain intervals of at least 2-3 hours between meals and at the same time, in order to prevent a strong feeling of hunger, you must always have something suitable for a snack on hand (fruits, nuts, dried fruits , juice, yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, cheese, but not a sandwich, sweets, snacks, etc.).

At the same time, it is important to understand that the portion size should also not be too large, but you need to eat slowly and chewing thoroughly in order to feel a feeling of fullness in time.

4. Sweet is harmful . Well, it depends which way you look at it. If there is a lot of sweets, replacing them even with meals, while using not very high-quality confectionery, then yes, such sweets are harmful. But if we eat a few sweets a day, or a piece of cake (not every day), or eat quality confectionery products in small quantities (and this is dark chocolate with a cocoa content of more than 50 percent, homemade cottage cheese casserole, homemade sweet yogurt, dried fruits, homemade fruit jelly). The least harmful sweet products also include marshmallows, "bird's milk" sweets, roasted meats, caramels, marmalade, Turkish delight, Turkish delight, whole grain cookies, halva, expensive chocolates with nuts.

5. Fat is harmful . This is also a very big misconception, because, firstly, fats are different, and secondly, it is fats that make up the main part of the taste of products, and if they are removed altogether, then everything would become insipid and tasteless.

Let's break it down right away:

- palm oil is harmful;

- animal fats are harmful when consumed in large quantities and if you have: obesity, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, hypertension, inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract, in these cases it is better to eat as little as possible foods with animal fats, which include fatty meat ( pork, lamb, duck meat), fatty dairy products (cream, sour cream, butter, whole milk, ice cream, cottage cheese and other fermented milk products from whole milk)

Vegetable fats are practically harmless, but can affect digestion when consumed in large quantities. But in other cases, they bring a lot of benefits to the body (they practically do not affect the figure, they contain fat-soluble vitamins that affect the condition of the skin, hair and nails).

We looked at 5 myths about proper nutrition. These are the most common misconceptions that many believed to be true. If you know other myths about proper nutrition, then be sure to share with us in the comments.

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We hear everywhere that it is better to make an appointment with a doctor, and not self-medicate, that you need to consult a nutritionist, and not give up food altogether. But still, we continue to read advice on women's forums and experiment with our health. What is important to know so as not to harm yourself?

Consider four myths about proper nutrition.

1. Myth - fruits and vegetables in the diet are healthy

A couple of days a month on an apple or other fruit diet will not harm your body, but no more. Diets based on vegetables and fruits alone can be hazardous to health. Excessive passion for vegetables (as well as mono-diets, such as apple ones) can be compared with strict veganism or a raw food diet. They lead to a lack of protein, vitamins B and D, calcium, iron, zinc, because these elements are poorly absorbed from plant foods.

In addition, a large amount of fruits and vegetables can cause flatulence, bloating, bowel problems, headaches, and even lead to hormonal problems. Also, do not forget about the lack of salt - since this diet can be attributed to salt-free - which can cause convulsions, dizziness, depression. With prolonged use of vegetables, protein-energy deficiency, polyhypovitaminosis and anemia occur. If you like fruits, you need to keep track of calories, because fruits are a source of sugars that do not make us slimmer.

It is also worth excluding this diet for people with gastrointestinal problems, pancreatitis, with allergies to fruits and vegetables, children and pregnant women, the elderly. A menu of fruits or fruit juices increases the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

A couple of days on a vegetable diet will not interfere, but a constant vegetable menu is harmful to health

One of the common diets says: "To lose weight, you need to eat 1-5 servings of fruits and 2-3 servings of vegetables daily." American nutritionists undertook to test the effectiveness of this recommendation. More than a thousand people participated in the study. His results showed that such a diet does not bring the expected effect. The study compared a "plant-based" diet with a Mediterranean diet based on olive oil and seafood. It turned out the second one worked better. What's more, cores who followed the Mediterranean diet were 30% less likely to experience a heart attack.

Bottom line - replacing conventional products with vegetables and fruits is not effective. The main thing is to reduce the calorie content of food consumed.

2. Myth - you need to drink 2 liters of water per day

2-3 glasses of water a day is enough to maintain the normal water balance of the body. The total amount of water is individual for each: on average, 2 liters of water are taken per 66 kg of weight, and, of course, depends on humidity:

• if the humidity is 40%, then 35-40 ml per 1 kg of weight is in winter, with heating,
• average humidity 50%, i.e. 30 ml per 1 kg of weight,
• in summer, humidity is below 40%, which means that water consumption is higher.

For example, during training you spend a lot of energy and sweat, which means that you need to make up for the lack of fluid in the body. Drinking during meals is also possible and even necessary if the food is hard or dry.

The water balance of the body can be maintained both with clean water and tea and coffee.

According to recent studies, the body's water balance can be maintained both with pure water and with tea and coffee. But it is worth drinking 2-3 glasses of pure water per day to the total volume of liquid. And remember that you should not force water into yourself.

Dietitian from the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) Antje Gal argues that you can not drink too much at a time. It's bad for the kidneys. It should be drunk little by little during the day, at the rate of 40 ml per kg of body weight.

3. Myth: Vegetarians and vegans live longer than meat eaters.

None of the many studies have proven that cutting out meat lengthens life. In addition, vegans (but not vegetarians) are generally more prone to fatal diseases: they have a higher chance of developing cancer, a markedly higher rate of death from diseases of the brain, respiratory system, and in general, mortality is slightly higher than that of adherents of other diets.

Adherents of strict veganism with age expect a lack of iron, zinc, calcium, copper (they may be sufficient in vegetables, but they are poorly absorbed from plant foods), vitamins A, B 2, B 12, D and essential amino acids. This leads to dysbiosis, hypovitaminosis, protein deficiency.

There are several varieties of vegetarianism:

• veganism (exclusion of any products of animal origin),
• lacto-veganism (includes the use of dairy products),
• lacto-ovo-veganism (includes the consumption of dairy products and eggs).

Strict veganism is not recommended for children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, the elderly (because of the risk of osteoporosis) and menopausal women (due to lack of calcium). Lacto-veganism and lacto-veganism are more gentle systems, they can be used in small courses (a week or two), especially in summer. For example, people with obesity, hypertension, atherosclerosis, gout, urolithiasis with uraturia, chronic renal failure.

Vegetarians consume 75-80% carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, cereals, bread), 10% proteins (nuts, dairy products, eggs, legumes) and 10-15% fats (oil, vegetable fats), while a person needs at least 30% protein animal origin.

The reason for better health may be an active lifestyle, avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, but not a vegetarian diet.

Comparing death rates among vegetarians and traditional dieters, the researchers found little to no difference. The only exception was coronary heart disease (CHD): the number of vegetarians who died from this disease was slightly lower than in the case of meat lovers. But the incidence of coronary artery disease does not depend on the style of eating, in India, where the majority of vegetarians, mortality from coronary artery disease is one of the highest in the world.

Other studies have found that an active lifestyle, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol, but not a vegetarian diet, can lead to improved health and reduced mortality.

4. Myth - if you want to eat right - exclude sweets from the diet

Sweet is not poison or evil. Glucose is needed by the brain for normal functioning, but it can be obtained by various methods: you can eat sugar, sweeteners, honey, fruits, muesli, carbonated drinks - glucose is everywhere. The only question is, are you ready to settle for a couple of slices of chocolate?

The level of glucose necessary for the normal functioning of the brain, central nervous system, and other organs is 70-100 mg per 100 ml of blood. Excess indicates pathological conditions, possibly diabetes mellitus. Everyone has seen on the Internet a comparative picture of the sugar content in different foods and drinks - cola, packaged juices, chocolate bars, oatmeal, etc. Our norm is 5-10% sugar per day from the main diet. So you can and should allow yourself sweets, but in moderation, and remember that fruits also contain sugar.

Sugar in moderate doses does not harm a healthy person.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study that showed that there is no direct evidence that natural sugar or supplements have any unique effect, compared to any other calorie source, on the development of obesity or diabetes. If you are already suffering from a metabolic disorder, then it is worth reducing your sugar intake or giving it up completely. It does not harm a healthy person in moderate doses.

So, what to do when reading regular nutrition advice - believe them or not? Of course, if you have problems with being overweight, you need to consult a specialist and choose the right diet for you. Remember that your body is alive - it itself gives signals about what it wants at the moment, it directs you. Don't force him. Learn to listen to yourself, and then no myths will confuse you.

About the expert

Anna Ivashkevich, dietitian, nutritionist, develops nutrition programs.

What does it mean to "eat right"? Eat a balanced diet and allow yourself small indulgences, or set strict limits by eliminating a whole range of foods from the diet? Does a healthy lifestyle consist only of proper nutrition?

The more popular this topic becomes, the more myths appear around it. And to understand a large flow of information is often not so easy. We have found for you the 20 most common myths about proper nutrition and debunked them.

1. The less fat in the product, the healthier it is

Fats are considered the worst enemies of the figure. And in vain. These substances are essential for the body. Only trans fats and saturated fats are harmful. And vegetable and animal fats in moderation must be supplied to the body. These are, for example, fish, nuts, dairy products.

2. Fruit juices are just as healthy as fresh fruit.

It is widely believed that fruits are very useful in absolutely any form. However, there is still a difference. Juices contain practically no valuable fiber, and the concentration of vitamins and minerals drops markedly. That is why it is better to give preference to fresh fruits. By the way, we are talking about freshly squeezed juices. You can safely forget about packaged nectars from the store forever. They are too high in sugar, preservatives and other food additives.

3. Proper nutrition is tasteless

People who know about proper nutrition only by hearsay sometimes make completely absurd arguments in favor of their laziness and lack of willpower. Proper nutrition is not tasteless food.

You can experiment and find new interesting combinations and dishes for yourself. For example, stuffed vegetables.

4. Healthy food is expensive

Another favorite excuse of opponents of a healthy lifestyle is the assertion that in order to eat right, you need to have untold wealth. It is a myth. Proper nutrition can be quite affordable. For example, the price of cereals and seasonal vegetables is quite acceptable. You don't have to buy products labeled "organic". This does not always mean that you really have something useful in front of you.

5. Reducing calories is the only way to lose weight.

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Cutting calories if you want to lose weight is natural and logical. Only if it is not about starvation diets. Nutrition should remain balanced and complete. You should consume a little less calories than you expend during the day. To see a good result, you must also include physical activity and sports in your schedule.

6. Sushi and rolls are a dietary product

By themselves, sushi and rolls will not do much harm to the figure. Although white rice, which is used to prepare this product, is not a leader among diet foods. However, it is soy sauce that poses a great danger, without which not a single lunch or dinner in a Japanese restaurant can do. It is very high in calories and will not help you get a flat stomach.

7. Snacking is harmful

Snacking is not a harm, but an absolute necessity. They should be present in the diet of every healthy person, because during the day it is necessary to replenish the reserves of vigor and energy. It is only important to be able to choose the right snacks. Chocolate bars and other sweets are not suitable.

8. Diet soda is healthy

The smart marketers who invented Diet Coke never tire of convincing us that it doesn't contain any extra calories. Someone willingly believes in tricks and believes that sweet soda fits well into the canons of a healthy diet. This is not true. Even more colorings, preservatives, and sugars are often added to diet foods to kill the peculiar taste.

9. Only buy organic products

This item is very similar to the previous one. Labels and labels on products that proudly say "100% natural" or "organic" often have nothing to do with reality and are no different from their conventional counterparts. Such inscriptions are intended to stimulate sales rather than objectively assess the composition of a particular product.

10. Carbohydrates should be reduced or eliminated from the diet.

Losing weight mistakenly dislikes not only fats, but also carbohydrates. In the case of the latter, there were also misunderstandings and distortions. Carbohydrates are different: simple and complex. It is better to really minimize the consumption of simple carbohydrates, since the feeling of satiety after them quickly passes. And complex carbohydrates, on the contrary, should definitely be included in the diet if you decide to start eating right.

11. Fresh vegetables are healthier than frozen.

Modern freezing technologies make it possible to preserve absolutely all vitamins, minerals and other useful substances in the composition of vegetables. This is especially true in the winter season, when vegetables and fruits of not the first freshness get on the shelves, in which there is practically no use.

12. All chocolate, without exception, is bad.

If you are quietly horrified at the mere thought of chocolate, it's time to rethink your mind. Not all chocolate harms the figure. There is dark chocolate, which has a lot of vitamins. It strengthens the immune system, stimulates mental activity, improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system. So one slice of dark chocolate in the morning will only benefit.

13. Granola is always nutritious and healthy

This popular snack, which came to us from the United States of America, is considered one of the most nutritious snacks. However, this product is not always really useful. Granola sometimes contains artificial sweeteners designed to reduce the calorie content of the product. They, in turn, only provoke an increased appetite and a desire to eat more than necessary. Choose your granola carefully.

14. Fewer meals are better.

The less you eat, the more your body reserves. For a person, two meals a day is not enough. Even if they are very large and satisfying. It's even worse. The stomach stretches, and excess calories turn into fat. Ideally, there should be about five to six meals: a full breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks during the day.

15. You need to forget about sweets

For some reason, it is believed that with proper nutrition, you need to forget about sweets once and for all. First, everything should be in moderation. Sometimes you can treat yourself and allow yourself to eat a piece of your favorite treat until 12:00. Secondly, who said that sweets are only junk food? Choose for yourself something tasty from healthy snacks for the sweet tooth.

Proper nutrition, like many other things in our lives, is gradually overgrown with a wide variety of myths. And, nevertheless, its popularity is inexorably gaining momentum. Moreover, the more popular it becomes, the more myths appear around it. What does the phrase “eat right” mean, and which statements are myths and which are true?

myths

Proper nutrition is very expensive. In order to eat right, it is not at all necessary to be rich, like Croesus. Proper nutrition is more than affordable, because every person can afford to buy inexpensive seasonal vegetables and fruits, or the most ordinary cereals. Moreover, the “organic product” label on the packaging is not always proof that such a product, purchased at a fairly high price, will actually turn out to be useful.

Buy only organic products . As noted above, in reality, these products do not always turn out to be truly healthy and “correct”. Such inscriptions are more aimed at stimulating sales, and nothing more. If we objectively evaluate the composition of the vast majority of these seemingly attractive products, then in reality they will turn out to be not so attractive.

Proper nutrition is very tasteless. Healthy food is not always tasteless. In addition, a huge variety of “right” products allows you to experiment a lot, discovering new interesting dishes and flavor combinations. And it’s also unlikely that anyone will refuse a serving of traditional stuffed vegetables!

The fewer meals, the better. . In fact, the less a person eats, the more his body begins to store in reserve. Two meals a day will obviously not be enough even with very satisfying and impressive portions. Moreover, such an approach can cause irreparable harm to the body - the stomach will gradually stretch, and the unfortunate extra calories will inexorably be converted into fat. Ideally, the number of daily meals should reach five or six and include a full breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a couple of snacks throughout the day.

The only way to lose weight is to reduce calories. Of course, reducing the amount of calories consumed in this case would be quite logical and natural, but still this is far from the only way to normalize weight. In any case, nutrition should be complete and balanced, which means that there is absolutely no need to exhaust yourself with cruel starvation diets - it is quite enough if the number of calories consumed is slightly less than the number of calories burned throughout the day. And for best results, do not neglect sports and regular physical activity!

The less fat in foods, the healthier they are. Many representatives of the fair sex consider fats to be the worst enemies of harmony, and in vain, since fats play an important role in the normal functioning of any organism. In fact, only saturated fats and trans fats are harmful, and as for animal and vegetable fats, they must be supplied to every body without fail. Of course, in moderation. The most useful products with a fat content are considered to be sour-milk products, as well as nuts and fish.

Snacking is very harmful. Nothing like this! They are simply necessary for each of us, because the body needs to replenish energy reserves throughout the day. In this case, it is important to correctly select products for these very snacks, and then they will not cause the slightest harm to the body. Without a doubt, snacking on chocolate bars or any other sweets is definitely not worth it.

Carbohydrate intake should be reduced or even completely eliminated from the diet. Not liking carbohydrates will be just as wrong as not liking fats. It is important to understand that carbohydrates can be both simple and complex. And if the use of the former really makes sense to minimize (the feeling of fullness in this case disappears very quickly), then the latter must be present in the menu of each person without fail.

Granola is incredibly healthy and highly nutritious. Granola is an incredibly popular snack from the USA, considered one of the healthiest snacks. In fact, it turns out to be far from always useful, since some of its varieties include artificial sweeteners, due to which the calorie content of this product is somewhat reduced. Such sweeteners are endowed with the ability to significantly increase appetite, as a result of which a person can eat much more than he needs. That is why it is necessary to choose granola with special care.

Any chocolate is very harmful. Not every chocolate can harm a figure. And dark chocolate is completely safe in this regard. Moreover, it is very rich in vitamins and helps to improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system, and also perfectly strengthens the immune system. And it also helps to stimulate mental activity, therefore, one or two slices of this miraculous product, eaten in the morning, will benefit the body exclusively.

Sweets must be forgotten forever . Not at all, it's just important not to forget that everything should be in moderation. There is nothing wrong with indulging yourself with something sweet from time to time, the main thing is to have time to do it before twelve o'clock in the afternoon.

Do not eat after six. Considering that many people go to bed only closer to midnight, then they can forget about this rule forever. It would be extremely undesirable to eat three or four hours before bedtime, so only those people who go to the arms of Morpheus at nine to ten o'clock in the evening can afford not to eat after six. This is necessary in order to give the body a rest, and not to puzzle it with the process of processing a recently consumed dinner.

The healthiest breakfast is oatmeal. This statement is only half true - oatmeal will be useful only when it is prepared from coarse oats. And you can not find such a product in every store. As for the processed oatmeal, it loses a good half of its useful properties and becomes simply unable to saturate the body properly. And any instant cereal should generally be avoided!

Fruit juices are just as healthy as fresh fruit. Alas, this is not so: the percentage of minerals and vitamins in juices is significantly lower, and there is practically no fiber necessary for the body in them. And it's in freshly squeezed juices! Therefore, fresh fruit is much more preferable. As for packaged store-bought juices, it’s generally better to refuse them completely, since they contain a truly incredible amount of preservatives, as well as far from harmless sugar and all kinds of nutritional supplements.

Useful truth about proper nutrition

The basic postulate of proper nutrition: about half of the diet should certainly be fruits and vegetables, and another quarter should be allocated to carbohydrate-containing and protein-containing products.

Every human body needs carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Carbohydrates are designed to supply the human body with vital energy, and their deficiency often causes headaches, drowsiness and weakness. All carbohydrates are divided into simple and complex: simple carbohydrates are usually characterized by a sweet taste and quick digestibility, respectively, the benefits of them are small, and complex carbohydrates, contained in cereals, starch and fiber, release energy in stages, giving a feeling of satiety for a much longer period.

Fats are a valuable building material for cells and are divided into unsaturated (that is, vegetable) and saturated (animals). The former are much more beneficial for the body. It is especially important to consume fat-containing foods during severe physical exertion and during cold seasons. If you completely abandon fats, you can earn serious health troubles.

Proteins, which are responsible for the full functioning of the body, must also be present in the daily diet, and in sufficient quantities. Lack of protein leads to a significant decrease in concentration and far from the best effect on human performance.

Thus, a full-fledged menu of people seeking to eat right must necessarily include fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. And do not overly limit yourself literally in everything - with a reasonable approach, you can even afford sweets!

Proper nutrition will help you become not only more active and healthy, but also much more attractive, because it to a large extent contributes to the improvement of the condition of nails, hair and skin. And yet, proper nutrition is the key to prolonging youth and maintaining a slim figure! So why not give him a chance to show himself in all its glory?

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